1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to storage devices for recording media and in particular to storage devices for storing and carrying disc shaped recording media. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for storing and carrying a large number of disc shaped recording media in a manner which permits the efficient removal of a selected disc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Storage devices for recording media are generally known. Disc shaped recording media, such as records, or compact discs encounter special problems of handling and storage due to their delicate, flat recorded surfaces. It is therefore preferable to handle disc shaped recording media by their circumferential outer edges which are thin, non-recorded surfaces, in order to avoid damaging the recorded surfaces.
Compact discs generally have optically readable data encoded on their flat recorded surfaces. Compact discs are generally sold in plastic boxes which are sometimes referred to as "jewel boxes." Most compact disc boxes which are utilized to package compact disc for sale are substantially standardized in size and shape. Most are rectangular and have a mounting hub for holding the CD by its center aperture. Compact disc boxes are usually kept after purchases for storage devices for a single compact disc. Other types of storage devices are needed to organize and store multiple compact disc boxes.
While compact disc boxes have proven adequate for storage purposes, there is room for improvement. For example, it is sometimes difficult to remove a compact disc from its mounting hub, thus requiring the use of force which might damage the recorded surface. Also, compact disc boxes have interior surfaces which sometimes come into contact with and thus degrade, the recorded surface of the compact disc.
Presently, there are no storage devices for compact disc boxes which offer a satisfactory portability feature. Due to the thickness of a compact disc box, it is somewhat cumbersome to carry multiple compact disc boxes from one location to another. Existing compact disc box holders are intended for stationary use, and thus, are not easily converted to portable use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,533 describes a device for storing flat recording media in which compact discs are vertically stacked in outwardly sliding, open-topped trays. Each tray is composed of a lower portion of the original compact disc box, which is slidable along parallel lateral guide rails. A locking mechanism is provided to prevent the trays from inadvertently sliding out. However, the device described in the aforementioned patent is not practical as a portable carrier, since space for each compact disc box is required. Also, sliding tray mechanisms tend to be mechanically complex and quite costly to produce.
More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,743 disclosed an apparatus for storing a plurality of disc shaped recording media which includes a housing and a plurality of thin substantially C-shaped lever members, each of which has an inner circumferential surface for holding a disc shaped recording media by an outer circumferential surface of the recording media. Each lever member is pivotally connected to the housing by a pivot post and is pivotally movable into and out of the housing. A lock mechanism prevents the lever members from pivoting out of the housing, while a detent mechanism holds the unlocked lever in either a closed or opened position. This device represents an advance over the previously discussed device; however, it is necessary to manufacture a separate housing for each compact disc which must then be pivotally mounted within the storage apparatus of the aforementioned patent.
Thus, it should be apparent that a need exists for a storage apparatus which can efficiently store a large number of disc shaped recording media, such as compact discs, and for transportation from place to place.